Pipeline New Works Program

Founded in 2019 by Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire and Chris Lindsay-Abaire, the Pipeline New Works Program has become Cadence’s premier initiative for developing new work. After the pandemic, Cadence expanded the program to include screenwriting, broadening its mission under the leadership of New York Times bestselling author, playwright and screenwriter Clay McLeod Chapman.

Supporting Writers at Every Stage

Pipeline nurtures emerging, mid-career, and established writers through workshops, retreats, and individualized mentorship, helping artists move their work from early drafts to full production. The program connects writers with acclaimed mentors and directors and provides a supportive environment for creative risk-taking.

Collaboration, Community and the Cadence Pipeline Retreat

Cadence develops work through referral partnerships with industry professionals, as well as from a vibrant local network of emerging writers. The annual Pipeline Writers’ Retreat is a 3½-day immersive residency in the Blue Ridge Mountains, offering writers dedicated time to create, workshops led by mentors and industry professionals, a supportive artistic community, comfortable lodging and meals, and a restorative break from the pace of daily life.

Recent and Upcoming Projects

Recent work includes the highly acclaimed developmental premiere of SMOKE by Enid Graham. Pipeline’s reach also extends beyond Virginia, with workshops hosted in New York City and collaborations with professional artists nationwide. As an Associate Member of the National New Play Network, Cadence will take part in the 2026 Rolling World Premiere of Dog Mom by Tate Hanyok, recently developed through Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.

The Heart of Pipeline

Pipeline remains a vital incubator for new voices—connecting artists, fostering collaboration, and helping playwrights and screenwriters shape stories that resonate on stages and screens across the country.

Looking Ahead

Beginning in the 2025–2026 season, Cadence will launch the Pipeline New Works Commission Program, expanding opportunities for commissioned projects and deeper partnerships with playwrights and screenwriters.

Meet Your Mentors

Jeni Mahoney

Pipeline New Works Retreat Mentor

Jeni is a playwright, director, dramaturg, teacher, new play development geek and Founder of Seven Devils New Play Foundry, and their esteemed Playwrights Conference, where she served as Producing Artistic Director for 23 years and was instrumental in the development of over 260 new American plays. Inducted into the IndieTheatre Hall of Fame in 2014, Jeni is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the National Theatre Conference (where she served on the Board for six years). She currently serves on the Board of Open Sky, Fleischer Studios, and Seven Devils New Play Foundry, as an Honorary Board Member. Jeni also teaches at Stonecoast, the University of Southern Maine's low-residency MFA in Creative Writing Program. More at jenimahoney.com.

Bob Bartlett

Pipeline New Works Retreat Mentor

Bob Bartlett is an affiliated artist with the National New Play Network and a member of the Dramatists Guild of America. Bob has produced his own site-specific work, including Accident Bear in the Avenue Laundromat in Downtown Annapolis and Lýkos ánthrōpos in a wooded clearing in the middle of the woods on a Maryland farm and at historic Congressional Cemetery in DC. Bob earned his MFA in Playwriting at Catholic University of America, and he is a longtime member of the theatre faculty at Bowie State University in Maryland, where he teaches playwriting, screenwriting, dramatic literature and theory. He is also a founding member of The Welders, a Washington, DC-based, producing playwrights collective. More at bob-bartlett.com.